The Impact of Charitable Giving

Our community has changed much in the 40 years since The Salt Mine was first established, but one thing has remained true—this is a community of generous givers. For 40 years, we have been funded solely by your generosity. No federal funding, no state grants, no corporate safety net. We are proud and thankful to be your local charity!

We know our community thrives from your generosity. You allow us to meet the needs of hundreds of families each week with vital food resources. This study from The Generosity Commission shows how individual donors have a great impact on small nonprofits:

"Of the more than 1.7 million nonprofits in the United States today, the best known and wealthiest are the large institutions, with a national or international reach—major research universities and hospitals, for instance. But the vast majority are much smaller; some 88% of nonprofits have a budget of less than $500,000. And these smaller nonprofits rely considerably more on individual contributions (as opposed to support from foundations or corporations) than do larger nonprofits. They are also more reliant on smaller donations from everyday donors than larger institutions that often have the development staff capacity to attract major donations. It is these smaller organizations, many of them operating on exceedingly thin financial margins, that would be especially hurt by a drop in charitable revenue from a decline in giving rates."

Gianoni, Michael, and Jane Wales. “Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential: The Power of Giving and Volunteering.” The Generosity Commission, Sept. 2024, 11.

www.thegenerositycommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/DIGITAL_TGC_FullReport_092424.pdf (accessed July 2025).

As a small nonprofit, The Salt Mine relies on charitable giving from individuals. This has allowed us to operate freely with one sole purpose and mission: to feed our neighbors in Lincoln and Sheridan, California. Although this reliance on our community can sometimes be an uphill battle, we know the benefits outweigh the difficulties. The struggle of keeping our doors open is a hurdle we face week after week; but our community always comes through. We believe that when individuals support their local nonprofit, they create a strengthened community, increase involvement from other community members, and give the assurance that our neighbors receive the specific help they need.

---

If you would like to learn more about the impact of nonprofits on local community and the roles individuals play in keeping nonprofits alive, you can follow these resources below:

Faulk, Lewis. “Nonprofit Trends and Impacts.” Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Oct. 2021, www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/Nonprofit%20Trends%20and%20Impacts%202021.pdf (accessed July 2025).

Dietz, Nathan. “Social Connectedness and Generosity.” School of Public Policy, Do Good Institute, Jan. 2024, https://dogood.umd.edu/sites/default/files/2024-01/FINAL_SocialConnectednessandGenerosity_2024.pdf (accessed July 2025).